Political Science

Description

Why do Hindus and Muslims live in harmony in one city and fight bitterly in another just a few miles away? Why is the U.S. the only industrialized nation without a complete national health insurance? What is the legacy of slavery in the U.S.? Why are there so few women in Congress? How is radicalism in the Middle East changing? Why and how does democracy flourish? Just what is democracy? How do emotions shape our political behavior? What do war movies tell us about the USA? Would less government lead to more social justice? What is social justice? How does smuggling (of drugs, guns, and people) reshape international relations? How do immigrants see the American Dream? What is the American dream?

Political science is about questions like these. You can grapple with every one of them –and many more— in the classrooms of the Brown political science department. We study how people –nations, regions, cities, communities— live their common lives. How people solve (or duck) their common problems. How people govern themselves. How they think, talk, argue, fight, and vote.

Student Goals

Students in this concentration will:

Gain an understanding of the nature and history of important issues in contemporary politics

Grasp the major theories underlying political systems

Learn the methodological approaches relevant to one or more subfields in political science

Develop advanced rhetorical and writing skills

Produce original research in the form of a seminar paper

Requirements

Click here for a list of the Political Science concentration requirements. For more information about this concentration, please visit the department's website.

Honors and Capstones

All concentrators must complete a capstone course in the form of a Senior Seminar in the department. Admission into the Honors course of study is restricted to students who have given evidence of superior work in Political Science. At the completion of 5 semesters, an average of at least 3.6 in graded political science courses is required. Since the application is due prior to the end of the 6th semester, it is understood that you will have completed 8 Political Science courses before the honors seminar starts at the beginning of your 7th semester. Please visit the Political Science website for complete information on the requirements for Honors.

Tracks

American

International and Comparative

Theory

Liberal Learning

This concentration allows you to address the following Liberal Learning goals:

Graduating Class

Year

Total

Capstone

Honors

2011

82

82

9

2012

79

79

7

2013

73

73

6

2014

68

68

7

2015

67

10

Alumni Pathways

Political Science has a wide range of applications and provides a useful preparation for a variety of career options. Most graduates have pursued careers in law, government service, business, industry, teaching, communications, and hospital administration.